1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for detecting a combustible gas within an atmosphere to be detected (hereinafter also called, combustible gas detecting apparatus and method) and, more particularly, relates to the apparatus and method for detecting the combustible gas within the atmosphere to be detected, equipped with a plurality of heating resistors disposed within the atmosphere to be detected.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application Publication (tokkai) No. 2006-10670 published on Jan. 12, 2006 exemplifies a previously proposed combustible gas detecting apparatus. In the previously proposed combustible gas detecting apparatus disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Publication, the combustible gas within the atmosphere to be detected is detected using each of terminal voltages across respective heating resistors which are controlled to provide mutually different temperatures.
In detail, in the previously proposed combustible gas detecting apparatus disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Publication, the combustible gas is detected on the basis of a relationship among respective terminal voltages across the respective heating resistors, a temperature of the atmosphere to be detected, and a humidity of the atmosphere to be detected.
It should be noted that the humidity of the atmosphere to be detected can be calculated on the basis of a relationship between the respective terminal voltages across the respective heating resistors and the temperature of the atmosphere to be detected.